Their house isn’t small by any means, but the number of people and dogs running about it feels much smaller.
“Oliver,” Maverick shouts from the far side of the main living area. He runs over, wrapping his friend in a hug.
My eyes roam over the room again. Maverick is with Abby this week, so if he is here, then Abby must be here too.
I still can’t find her silky brown locks anywhere among the sea of heads around the room.
Maverick looks up at Kane. “I’m going to take him for a while.”
“Okay,” Kane says, laughing. “Have fun. Come get me if you need something.”
Oliver nods at his dad, then, with a big smile, darts after Maverick.
“Well… that was freaking cute,” Sienna says. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
She proceeds to do just that for the next ten minutes. There are some people I have already met over the last few months, but most of them are new faces.
There’s no way in hell I am going to be able to remember everyone’s names. I might love talking to people, but remembering names has never been a strong suit of mine.
I quickly picked up on the fact that most people here are in poly relationships. I had no idea so many of Abby’s friends were involved with multiple partners.
Interesting.
I can’t help the way a tiny flame of hope starts to flicker to life inside of me at the idea of one day that being our reality, too.
Maybe it’s something Abby would be open to. She was more than open to it in a sexual sense. Maybe relationship-wise would be much the same.
It’s a pointless train of thought. We’re friends right now…only friends. I have to keep reminding myself of this on a daily basis.
The last few weeks have been weird but yet somehow still wonderful. All four of us are fighting to stay friends despite everything that went down between us.
There are clearly feelings involved for everyone, but being friends seems like the better choice than not being in each other’s lives at all. That sounds like excruciating torture.
Seeing her, talking to her, and not being able to touch or kiss her in the way I want is a kind of torture in itself. Still, it’s far more tolerable than never getting to see or talk to her at all.
“Oh, the pie,” Sienna says with a laugh. “I should have taken that from you a while ago.”
I’m about to reply as she grabs the pie from my hand, but the words get lodged in my throat. Abby steps out of the hallway and into the living room.
She looks stunning in an oversized sweater that hangs over a bare shoulder that I want to sink my teeth into.
You’re in public. Get your shit together.
Her eyes land on me first, then they drift to the two men standing at my side. “Fuck,” Kane mutters under his breath. Linc makes an unintelligible sound.
She blinks a few times, then makes her way over to us. “Hey,” she says.
Linc is the first one to pull her in for a hug. She moves down the line, giving Kane and I hugs as well.
I force my arms to fall back to my sides because if they had their way, they would remain wrapped around her the rest of the day.
“I’m glad you guys are here,” she says with a level of precision that feels unfamiliar after the last few weeks.
I get why she’s being more guarded now, but I hate it. I want every vulnerable piece of her, and I want to give her all of mine in return.
Fuck.This is hard.
“Did you guys meet everyone yet?” Abby asks.
